Read the title.
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Oh… wait, you want an explanation or rationale for the title? My bad. I’ll get right to it.
The Golden State Warriors NEED a small forward. They don’t have a starting caliber wing. Kevin Durant left to join Kyrie Irving for some reason to play for the Brooklyn Nets. And they traded Andre Iguodala to the Grizzlies to free up space for the D’Angelo Russell signing.
But more importantly, they can’t fill that small forward position with a good player – because most of the good small forwards are under contract. Kawhi Leonard. Paul George. Kevin Durant. Jimmy Butler. LeBron (lol). Even mid-tier guys like Harrison Barnes. Gordon Hayward. Tobias Harris. Danilo Galinari. Khris Jenner Middleton.
They’d have to trade for one of these guys – more specifically, the mid-tier guys. And what they’d have to give up isn’t optimal for most of them.
That’s where Andrew Wiggins comes into the picture. Yes yes, I know, he seems like a bust. But think about why that’s the case. He has the athleticism. He can score when he wants too. The main issue with Wiggins isn’t lack of skill, it’s lack of drive and intangibles – something that won’t be an issue if you’re playing along side some of the most high-intangible, high-leadership players in the league in Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green in the Golden State Warriors.
Andrew Wiggins:
The whole reason why the Warriors got Kevin Durant is because they knew that in the playoffs, athletic small fowards that can defend and get buckets are invaluable against players like LeBron James and Kawhi Leonard. Stephen Curry – like many guards including James Harden and Damian Lillard – tend to tire down somewhat during the playoffs. Having a wing is important due to their versatility.
With Durant gone and Iggy gone, Andrew Wiggins is the perfect player to keep their playoff hopes alive. He is a 6’8 small forward, with an unguardable first step, nifty, Kobe-like footwork in the post, great finishing moves, and the ability to shoot uncontested. There’s a reason why he was compared to Kobe Bryant. And so far, Wiggins’s issues are not even related to his lack of skill or potential; it’s been his poor application of said skills and lack of applying himself in general.
If you look at some of the clips in the video above, notice how in many of his shots, he tends to excel when he’s not primarily ball-handling. Wiggins is not the type of player that has the “it” factor to lead a team; and guess what?
That’s okay.
Many great players aren’t natural leaders. They work when they get the ball, not when they control the ball. Kareem was lethal as a WEAPON player. Kareem Abdul Jabaar was a weapon. You give him the ball when applicable. He’s an excellent number 2/3.
Andrew Wiggins is a rhythm ball player. He’s a great slasher.
Look at the video here starting from 1:19. Look at how well he cuts, at how smooth he looks when dialed in, driving into the rim.
Imagine those cuts, playing next to Stephen Curry and eventually Klay Thompson. HNNG.
Andrew Wiggins has the capacity to play off-ball MUCH better than Kevin Durant. So he will be a much better fit as an athletic slasher that can still shoot, still has great isolation-basketball skills when necessary, and isn’t a number-one, alpha-type player that can get in the way of Curry. Team morale would be most likely good, since Wiggins doesn’t have a strong or abrasive personality. This is all the more reason why he would work so well as a number 2 or 3 option on the Warriors, with their very unselfish brand of basketball, characterized by free-flowing ball movement and off-ball movement and screens.
As for the Wolves, they need a point guard that’s actually comfortable being the lead guy. Karl Anthony-Towns is not a number 1 player either. There’s a reason why it didn’t work with him and Wiggins, and why Butler hated those two guys. D’Lo is a number 1 option that doesn’t have the same abrasive leadership that Jimmy Butler has. This will create a great team fit with him and KAT.
Lastly, think about why the Warriors signed D’Lo in the first place. They already tried a small backcourt duo with Steph Curry and Monta Ellis years ago, and it didn’t work. There’s a reason they traded Monta. So they wouldn’t make that same mistake again. They got D’Lo for trade value.
Lastly (again), D’Angelo Russel was linked to the Wolves anyways; Here is an instagram story of Karl Anthony-Towns flirting with DLo.
It’s a no brainer, and it will work perfectly for both teams. Mark my words. I guarantee it.
